Antrim Hurling League – Division 2
Shane Uí Neills 0-25 Cloughmills 1-20
Glenarm’s hurlers recorded their second win in three days when they beat Cloughmills in Sunday’s Division 2 League game at Feystown. The victory comes on the back of Friday night’s game with Cloney Gael, which saw them hold out for a win against the Ahoghill side after a keenly contested game. Sunday’s game against Cloughmills was another battle between two teams who fought for every ball over sixty minutes, with a strong wind blowing towards the Feystown Road end which maded conditions quite difficult.
Cloughmills had Michael Dobbin to thank for the majority of their scoreline as he drove over 9 frees and 2 from play, Stephen Smyth hit a tally of 1-02 also.
Shane Uí Neills had Niall Mc Garel firing on all cylinders today as he pointed 8 from open play, plus 2 frees. Team mate Darren Hamill was also a thorn in the away teams side as he hit 1 from play and 5 from frees, but played his captains role well, as he moved the ball on and repelled quite a few Cloughmills attacks. Barry Hamill, John Scullion, and Ben O Boyle worked hard in defence with Michael Fury tracking back to assist.
For the first fifteen minutes or so the game went as predicted for the home side. Getting the early scores and drowning out any threat. Cloughmills played and score’s in small phases and it wasn’t until the second half that they hit a purple patch.
Liam O Neill pointed early for the hosts, before Michael Dobbin hit two frees for the team from the Ballyveely Road.
Darren Hamill slotted over a free to level the game before Sean O Boyle and Liam O Neill put Glenarm ahead by two scores. Glenarm’s Niall Mc Garel was a joy to watch as he pointed from out near the sideline.
Mc Garel added two more long distance efforts to leave the score at -07 to -02.
Stephen Smyth opened his account for the visitors with a nice point before Dobbin adding another free.
A few moments later a perfect cross field ball from Barry Hamill out of defence to his brother Darren who collected the sliotar and split the uprights from forty yards. Mc Garel also lobbed over a fine solo effort as he bounced off a couple of tackles. Hamill then drove over another dead ball effort between the posts.
Cloughmills Stephen Smyth got his second point as he collected a loose ball and scored before Dobbin punished Glenarm with another free.
The scores where coming thick and fast as Mc Garel and Sean O Boyle struck for the hosts, only for Dobbin scoring a free again before James Doherty floated over a point.
Sean O Hare pointed next for the Feystown team but out of the blue Stephen Smyth carved a gap through the Glenarm rearguard and hit a low ball beyond Liam Mulvenna for a goal for the St. Brigids team.
The hosts hit right back with two points from Aidan Scullion and another impressive effort off the stick of Niall Mc Garel.
A free from Hamill was soon cancelled out as Michael Dobbin pointed also from a free to end the first half.
Shane Uí Neills 0-16 Cloughmills 1-09
After the restart Cloughmills Dobbin continued with two more pointed frees, sandwiched between a reply from Glenarm’s Paddy Mc Auley. Eoin Dobbin reduced the arrears with two points one from play and one from a free by the midfield player.
Niall Mc Garel hit a free for the hosts before Dobbin replied for the visitors.
The main threat for the home team McGarel added to his tally with another dead ball effort, but the Cloughmills purple patch continued as they levelled proceedings with a Dobbin free and a Ryan McFarline point!!
Aidan Scullion, having a quieter game than usual, showed a bit of genius when he rolled a tackle and split the uprights to give the Feystown men back the lead and further points from Niall Mc Garel and second half substitute Ryan O Boyle stretched the gap to three.
In another Cloughmills play they levelled this tight battle again as points from McFarline, Ryan Dobbin and Aaron Mc Guckian set up a nail biting finish!
A frantic finish was on the cards but Glenarm responded well and produced the goods late on with Mc Garel hitting the ball with purpose over Cloughmills crossbar to leave the scoreboard level for the fifth time in the game. The home team’s captain Darren Hamill zipped over another free to give his team a one point lead and in the closing minutes Hamill judged a 80 yard free to perfection as the ball went right over the black spot for a two point win, which pleased the home support.
Shane Uí Neills
Liam Mulvenna, Liam Og Mc Loughlin, Barry Hamill, Ryan Mc Loughlin, Ben O Boyle, John Scullion, Michael Fury, Conal Ward, Aidan Scullion -02, Sean O Boyle -02, Niall Mc Garel -08 2f, Liam O Neill -02, Paddy Mc Auley -01, Darren Hamill -01 5f, Sean O Hare -01.
subs
Ryan O Boyle -01, Rory Mulvenna for Ryan Mc Loughlin, Declan Mc Dermott for Ben O Boyle.
Anthony McNeill.
Cloughmills
Chris Mc Kean, Jack Mc Dowell, Corey Blair, Sean Mc Kendry, Johnny Duffin, Ruairi Laverty, Rian Dobbin -01, Eoin Dobbin -01 1f, Aaron Mc Guckian -01, Ryan Mc Farline -02, Michael Dobbin -02 9f, James Doherty -01, Stephen Smyth 1-02, Shemus Duffin, James O Boyle.
Subs
Liam Kearns, Michael Reid, Conor Mc Kendry, Dara Watterson.
REITEOÍR Coly Thompson St. Johns
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